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  #1   ^
Old Sat, Dec-15-18, 13:06
LiterateGr's Avatar
LiterateGr LiterateGr is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 163
 
Plan: Atkins/General LC
Stats: 240.0/167.2/155 Female 5 '9"
BF:36/29.5/25
Progress: 86%
Default Scale Woes

I have a new scale that I love. (My old one was being... weird. And battery-changes didn't help.)

I've been on-track with what I eat, my new doc was happy with my bloodwork, all is going well in my world.

Daily weighing is a part of my discipline. I have a scientific/mathematical mindset, so I like lots of data-points on my graph -- it gives me a better view of the trend. (I weigh in the morning, naked, post-toilet, before-anything-else.)

So here's the the thing: My numbers are ticking me off right now.

First, I've cheated. Right after Thanksgiving, I knew I was traveling into a place where it would be hard to stick to plan, so I grabbed some of the Slimfast Keto bars, so that I would have something to eat when I needed it. I got 2 packages, one was "fat-bombs". That box had a LOT of them in it.

Now, I don't do well with the sugar alcohols. I know this. And... yeah, I've snuck one of those a few times, when I clearly hadn't had enough fat. (I have also purchased what i need to make my own fat-bombs... The ones I make don't cause me to stall.)

So, whenever I eat any of that crap (which is almost gone), I see a slight gain the next day. No big -- I know what's causing it. I'm in this for the long haul.


But that is combining with another problem: My darned knee. This weather has my knee acting up (ie: swelling and hurting).

Now, obviously, a swollen knee is going to look like a higher number on the scale. And obviously, that's not reflecting an increase in body-fat. I understand that, and I'm not upset by the way my numbers go up after my knee keeps me up half the night.

What I AM upset about is that between the two of them, I've got no idea of my actual progress at the moment.

In the past, I've measured along with my weighing, but nothing I'm using to track right now has the space for that, so I just haven't bothered. (Measuring is more invasive, and easier to "miss" anyway, so I'm not bothering just now.)

As of this morning, I'm 235.0, down from a high of 240 when I started (Nov. 20) and up from a low of 234.2 I don't really get that big early "whoosh" that a lot of folks do, so the first several weeks, I need to see those small changes, to keep that negative part of my brain from opening her ugly mouth. (You know that part -- the part that does its best to undermine you whenever you try to make positive change. We all have it. I conceptualize that voice as if it were an abusive ex, and treat it as such.)

So I'm definitely down. Part of me really wants to know how much. And I don't get to know, because my knee is acting up due to the weather.

I'm probably still not going to start measuring. Right now, that would make it "harder", and I need things to be easy. (Too much going on IRL to deal with one more source of stress, and if I forgot/wasn't able to get in measurements some morning, that would be a source of stress.

My trend is down. By over a pound/week.

Even WITH the various things causing bounces. (Seriously -- one day I woke up having gained 3 lbs.... That's not fat. That's my #~$% swollen knee.) I'm STILL trending down at pretty close to an ideal rate.

I just hate how scales work, I guess.
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  #2   ^
Old Sat, Dec-15-18, 22:36
Jamackarch's Avatar
Jamackarch Jamackarch is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 3,567
 
Plan: hflc
Stats: 166/157/125 Female 5'2"
BF:
Progress: 22%
Location: Pacific Northwest
Default

Hi Lite!

I agree with you, completely! The scale can be a real bummer- or a real spark of inspiration!

I weigh every day too- same routine as you.

I also have a bad knee! ("twins!" Grrrrr!!!!)

You are totally right- no one can gain 3 pounds of fat over night- probably cannont lose 3 pounds over night either! So much of our "weight" is WATER. In one place or another!

I agree with you about measuring too! First of all, without covering my skin in permanent marker, I would be constantly wondering if I was measuring in EXACTLY the same spot as before! The scale is just easier!

I also agree completely about The Voice!!! I HATE that B!t~h!!! She is such a saboteur! and just like an abusive ex, always tries to lure us into bad choices (c"mon...just do it... who cares... just a little...) NO!!!

All I can say about teh scale, is--> HOLD ON!!! YOU ARE DOING IT!!! Even if the scale does not reveal ANY good news, you KNOW if you are on track- you KNOW if you have eaten the right things for you.

You've got this!!!

Cheering for you and all of us!!!

Jams
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  #3   ^
Old Sat, Dec-15-18, 23:06
LCer4Life's Avatar
LCer4Life LCer4Life is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 692
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 155/143/125 Female 63
BF:33.2/28.7%/24%
Progress: 40%
Default

I agree w/ all that’s stated. I also have same weigh in process daily. My scale number is a barometer for me. I try NOT to tell myself ‘I’m down a pound or two so I don’t have to watch so closely. ‘. That is trouble with a capital T. So far I have not fallen into that mode of thinking but the “lower” number spurs me on to do better. Don’t get frustrated as it is a pitfall. We do know we can gain or lose 3# of day overnight. I get inspired by my NSVs. Those are just as important. Keep On Keeping On. 💪🏼 You’re doing great.
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  #4   ^
Old Sun, Dec-16-18, 04:13
JEY100's Avatar
JEY100 JEY100 is online now
Posts: 13,368
 
Plan: P:E/DDF
Stats: 225/150/169 Female 5' 9"
BF:45%/28%/25%
Progress: 134%
Location: NC
Default

There is a free app called "Happy Scales" (awful name) but it works...moving averages, trends, 10 day best, progress excitement, whatever would encourage you.

Better to track BG pre and post meals to see how you are reacting to the processed foods you ate. Seeing no rise is a optimal goal at this point. Adding IF is a good technique to help you through the holidays if there are situations without ideal LC meals. When you are Keto-adapted skipping meals becomes easy. Again recommend Dr. Fung's books or the threads in the Diabetes forum.


Quote:
6. Don’t Trust the Bathroom Scale With Your Mental Health

We humans are about 2/3 water. Each of us contains about 40 liters (or quarts) of the stuff, and each liter weighs a bit over 2 pounds. Our bodies effectively regulate fluid balance by adjusting urine output and sense of thirst, but this is done within a 2-liter range. Within this range, your body doesn’t really care if it is up to a liter above or below its ideal fluid level.

What this means is that we all live inside a 4-pound-wide grey zone, so that from day to day we fluctuate up or down (i.e., plus or minus) 2 pounds. This happens more or less at random, so with any one weight reading you don’t know where your body is within that fluid range. Your weight can be the same for 3 days in a row, and the next morning you wake up and the scale says you’ve ‘gained’ 3 pounds for no apparent reason. For people who weigh themselves frequently, this can be maddening.

There are two solutions to this problem. One, just don’t weigh yourself. Or two, defeat this variability by calculating average weights. You can weigh yourself every day, and then on one day per week, calculate your average for that week (i.e., the average or mean of 7 values). If you are really into math, you can weigh yourself every day and then each day calculate a new mean over the last 7 days. Each day you do this, you drop the oldest value and add the newest one to the calculation. And of course, there’s an iPhone ‘App’ that will do this for you.

Phinney, Stephen; Volek, Jeff (2011-07-08). The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living: An Expert Guide to Making the Life-Saving Benefits of Carbohydrate Restriction Sustainable and Enjoyable (pp. 241-242). Beyond Obesity LLC. Kindle Edition.

Last edited by JEY100 : Sun, Dec-16-18 at 07:02.
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